Low carbon ferrochrome (“LC FeCr’) is a niche product having several uses, the most common of which being for “trimming adjustment” of high chromium content steels in ladle furnaces where introduction of carbon from high carbon ferrochrome is unacceptable. There are several grades of LC FeCr with varying amounts of carbon, silicon and nitrogen and which are produced from chromite ores. LC FeCr may be manufactured from chromite ore by several processes—Perrin process, Duplex process using silicon as reductant in the form of ferro silicon chrome. Aluminum has been used as an alternative reducing agent instead of using silicon. By using aluminum as the reducing agent, instead of using carbon, one is able to produce the metal alloy low carbon ferrochrome which contains about 70% chromium. However, the prior art systems and methods for producing the LC Fe Cr from chromite leave much to be desired from the standpoints of economic and environmental protection.
Thus, a need exists for a method of producing low carbon ferrochrome from chromite ore which can be carried out economically and is environmentally friendly. The subject invention addresses that need.